7058 Insects. 



something large coming to the surface to breathe — dive — up with the 

 net — he is in — lapponicus for ever ! " We need not say that what we 

 had taken in no way cooled our ardour'; our search became more 

 exciting, and our labours were not unrewarded, for before leaving the 

 high ground we had the satisfaction of bagging a somewhat creditable 

 number. 



On our way down we came on some patches of birch wood in which 

 Melanippe hastaria was actually in profusion, and as the light breeze 

 swept past there was frequently a perfect swarm of them on the lee 

 side of the tree. We noticed that they were generally more numerous 

 round the mountain ash than the birch. 



Returning to our Highland shieling we sallied out in the afternoon 

 to take a survey of the low grounds. We came to a loch, which, in 

 some places was margined with tall marsh grasses. There several 

 species of Donacia were luxuriating in the axils of the stems ; D. Meny- 

 anthidis, D. Proteus, and another which we had the gratification 

 subsequently to find proved to be a species new to Britain, namely, 

 D. obscura of Gyllenhal, not Stephens. By sweeping in the water 

 under the grass-stems Orectochilus villosus came up in the net. 



As an illustration of the fact that science and the business of common 

 life go hand in hand, we may adduce the example of our having break- 

 fast next morning much improved by a dish of trout caught in our 

 Coleoptera net. 



Having to cross the island to catch — not a floating Dytiscus lappo- 

 nicus — but the steamer, we strapped on our knapsacks and started. 

 The road at first lay through a birch wood ; here we took Leptura 

 quadrifasciata flying along in the sunshine. Our next business was 

 the ascent of a lofty height, the view from whose summit we cannot 

 stay to depict. It embraced a large portion of the Highlands of Scot- 

 land and of the Western Islands from Arran to Skye, including 



" Ulva dark, and Colousay 

 And all ihe group of islets gay 

 That guard famed Staffa round." 



But of the hill itself and of the landscape immediately connected wiili 

 it no better description can be afforded than that given of another by 

 one of om- Scottish minstrels. 



" Here — above, around, below. 



Oil raouiitain or in glen, 

 Nor Iree, nor shrub, nor plant, nor flower. 

 Nor ought of vegetative power 



The weary eye may ken. 



